Honoring his mentor across the world

After stepping off the diamond a champion at last, the first title in 11 years for the Chinatrust Brothers of Taiwan’s top professional baseball league, pitching coach John Foster didn’t know in a few months time his world was about to come crashing down.

Today, Foster wears No. 27 to honor his mentor and “best coach he ever had” — Lewis-Clark State legend Ed Cheff. On his hand, he wears the championship ring he won in the Arizona Fall League early in his own pro career he’d given to his father, John Foster Sr.

Cheff and John Sr. died less than a month apart earlier this year.

“I lost two of the most influential people in my entire life,” Foster said in a phone call recently from Taiwan. “I wouldn’t be the player or coach I am if it wasn’t for Ed. I wouldn’t be those things either if it wasn’t for my dad.”

Foster’s own journey has seen its share of crushing setbacks and major lows, but it’s also featured championships, travel and a successful career as a professional baseball player and coach.

It took him to MLB, where he played 10 years in the Atlanta, Milwaukee and Kansas City organizations in the major and minor leagues despite enduring two shoulder surgeries, Tommy John surgery and back surgery.

It’s taken him to Costa Rica, China and, of course, Taiwan.

But first, it took him from Stockton, Calif., to Lewiston.

He’s so glad it did.

‘He needs some work’

Foster didn’t know where he wanted to go after two years at Delta College in his hometown, but he knew he wanted to get away from Stockton, which meant ditching an NCAA Division I scholarship to Pacific right down the road.

His college coach had “the perfect place” for him, so Foster hopped on a plane to Spokane for a trip to a little school called Lewis-Clark State College.

In a bullpen session, Foster put on a show of his best stuff only to overhear then-pitching coach Tyler Cheff on the phone with his dad, Ed.

“Tyler saw me and he was talking on the phone to Ed about me, and I loved that he was so honest,” Foster recalled. “I had ever heard someone talk like that. Tyler was like: ‘The stuff’s OK, stuff’s alright, he’s got a decent pitch, he needs a lot of work though.’

“I was like dang I’m right here, but I loved it. I wanted the hard truth, and I was getting it. At that point, I was in. I was like, ‘I have to come here.’”

Foster, now 43, joined the Warriors then and there in 1997.

Two years later, the left-handed pitcher helped LCSC to its 10th NAIA World Series in 1999.

“Some of those games were some of the most intense games I’ve ever been in to this day,” Foster said. “There was so much riding on it for peer respect.”

Playing for Ed Cheff meant getting up early, being on time and always giving 100 percent — even in warm ups; even when raking the field.

It wasn’t easy, but it built camaraderie — and champions. Lots of them.

It prepared many of them, like Foster, for the pros.

Making the bigs

Foster was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 25th round in 1999. He made his MLB debut three years later in 2002.

Every single offseason, Foster would come back to LCSC to train.

The reason?

He wanted to train with Ed Cheff’s boys because he knew they would prepare him well.

Foster recalled the first time he went home to Stockton to train and it seemed like the guys he pitched to were almost in awe of him. That’s not what he wanted.

“When I went to L-C, I got no part of that,” Foster said. “These boys, they could not give two (expletive) who the hell I was. They wanted to come in there and rip my (expletive). That was exactly what I wanted.”

It didn’t matter the time of day or what the issue or occasion was, Foster knew he could always call Ed Cheff, and his old coach would always answer.

Not only that, Ed Cheff could always find him a place to stay in Lewiston.

“Anytime I needed a catcher, he would get me a catcher; anytime I needed some hitters, he would put hitters in there,” Foster said. “We had keys to the facility; we could work out whenever we wanted. We got to live, eat and sleep baseball — that was it. It was something that was so awesome.”

Playing catch in handball courts

Foster’s journey to the top of pro ball didn’t come without its setbacks. The go-all-out attitude he played with took its beating on his body, and he had to undergo his first major shoulder surgery in 2004.

Foster was released by his team, the Chicago Cubs, and left to rehab on his own.

“I went through the ringer,” Foster said. “I didn’t think I was going to play again. I didn’t have any help. I was living in New York City. I was playing catch in handball courts, rehabbing myself.

“I didn’t think it was going to happen.”

That’s when he called Ed Cheff and booked a trip back to Lewiston.

He was again in the one place he could eat, sleep and breathe baseball, and one day he suddenly “just felt good.”

At the advice of an old coach, he called the team that took its first chance on him.

“I called the Braves right away,” he said.

After a bullpen session with a team scout, he was asked, “Do you think you can help the major league club this year?”

“I looked him in the eye and said ‘Absolutely, I can,’” Foster said.

Ten days after making Triple-A Richmond’s roster, Foster was back in the major leagues for the first time in two years.

That year also would be his final year in the majors, but he would continue in the minors until finally calling it quits in 2009.

He finished his MLB career with a 7-2 record, 4.90 ERA and 54 strikeouts.

Globetrotting baseball coach

The injuries eventually became too much to manage and Foster switched gears to a coaching career.

He started off in the college ranks at Monroe College and Lehman College in New York, also making stops in the summer collegiate leagues, most notably the Texas Collegiate League, where his team won a championship.

Stops in Costa Rica and an MLB developmental gig in China ensued — places and stories perhaps for another time. Or maybe a memoir some day.

That led Foster to Taiwan, where he’s been with his family since 2017.

As pitching coach for the Brothers, Foster saw opposing teams celebrate championships on his home field two years in a row before his team finally won it all in December.

“One of the (losses) was in Game 5 and the other was in Game 7, and I’m telling ya, that hit hard,” Foster said. “And then finally last year, being able to celebrate on their field felt really, really good.”

Foster recently signed his second two-year contract with the Brothers. He enjoys living in Taiwan with his wife, Anisha, and their three children, Autumn, 10; Phoenix, 8 and Rio, 2.

He’s had the league MVP each of the past two seasons — ace pitcher Jose DePaula — and his goal now is to try to help keep his team on top.

“Baseball is baseball no matter where you’re at,” Foster said. “I don’t try to change it … I try to intermingle western baseball culture to the Asian baseball culture and try to get those things to be the most efficient in the best way possible.”

Coming full circle

Foster choked up when talking about Ed Cheff and his father, who moved to Lewiston from Stockton after he retired 15 years ago.

When Foster heard that Cheff was sick, he immediately called his old coach. He told him about his kids, his career and his recent championship.

“He was just so happy to hear (from him),” Foster said.

During a trip to Lewiston earlier this year, Foster met with the current Warriors team. He told the players they better wear that uniform with pride, like so many Warriors did before them.

Cheff’s teams won 16 of LCSC’s 19 NAIA World Series titles, the other three coming after he retired in 2010.

Cheff’s way wasn’t the easy way, it was the hard way. But that’s why so many of his players loved him.

“Whenever somebody asks me why I changed my number, I sit them down,” Foster said. “...‘Let me tell you a story about the guy who wore this number for a really long time and made an impact on my life.’ ”

Of those stories, there are too many for Foster to count. But he’s made some stories of his own along the way too.

“Baseball is all I do and it’s all I plan on doing forever,” he said. “I’ve never had another job.”

Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.